This blog is a forum to highlight, celebrate and share the good works of people and organizations making our world a better place, especially those who are dedicated to catching the hurtful stones we are prone to cast at, or throw in the path of, the marginalized, vulnerable and victimized among us. Be a stonecatcher!

What does it mean to be from Hartford? What defines
the city’s identity? In recent years, Hartford is developing a reputation for
its amazing food truck vendors – and this is no accident. Jeff Devereux (Trinity
College ’12) is among the founders of the social enterprise Breakfast Lunch
& Dinner (BL&D), which holds many events with the goal of fostering “collective
culture” in Hartford. One central event is Know Good Market, an
open-air food truck event held in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood on the
second Thursday of the month from April to November. At Know Good Market,
residents come together to enjoy food, drink, and local vendors, while also developing
a closer attachment to one another and to the city of Hartford.

Devereux
describes collective culture as a state in which “everyone feels a part of a
community, regardless of race, income, or background. …[E]veryone can get
involved and participate in something together.” In this way, Devereux’s
efforts with Know Good Market are about far more than having fun. Community
events that build social networks, trust, and a sense of shared goals can
contribute to building upon Hartford’s strengths and addressing its challenges.

Hartford’s struggles and where they
stand

Since
the late 1990s, survey after survey placed Hartford among the poorest of all
American cities. As its population shrank, poverty and racial segregation grew.[1]
As a result, redevelopment stalled and the city fell into an extended fiscal
crisis. Many of the suburbs surrounding Hartford are wealthy, but suburban
residents typically come into the city only
to work, leaving directly after the workday. Downtown, sidewalks that are
packed by day empty out in the evening hours. In part as a result, many recent
college graduates leave Hartford for bigger cities.[2]

While
some view Hartford’s size, poverty, and diversity as a disadvantage, Jeff
Devereux sees these challenges as opportunities. Indeed, he believes that the
city’s diverse population and relatively small size are both advantages in
launching a business like BL&D. Hartford
has the components of a great city, but needs a shared sense of identity – a
kind of social glue – to bring these ingredients together.

Know Good Market

Know
Good Market fosters collective culture by bringing together people from
different parts of Hartford for a shared experience. In only its second year, the market has grown from
two food trucks and about a hundred people, to twelve vendors and as many as
eight hundred people. When we visited on Thursday, October 12, the market was
the perfect place for a diverse range of residents to get food and drinks after
work. The market had numerous culinary options, and almost all the vendors had
lines reaching from their trucks. The lines were a great opportunity to meet
new people and start making connections.

Another site
for interaction is the market’s single, long communal table. With few other
places to sit and eat, people can’t help but sit together and meet a new
neighbor. Proximity to Hog River Brewing
Company on Bartholomew Avenue also helps build social connections. With beers in hand, strangers felt even more comfortable beginning to interact.

Hog River Brewery. Photo Credit: Taylor Peracchio

The Know Good Market is successful in building
collective culture in part because the vendors share Jeff Devereux’s goal.
Butcher & Red, for instance, produces delicious food by buying products
from local farmers and using a non-profit, shared kitchen called Hands on Hartford.
Participating in the Market has helped
them make connections with other vendors in Connecticut and learn more about what
is going on in Hartford. Referring to some of Hartford’s other new businesses
that participate in the market, they said: “Hog River Brewery and Story and
Soil Coffee show us that Hartford can be a place for young and innovative
business owners to thrive.” And through Know Good Market, they see these
businesses “all supporting each other.” Moreover, they see the market bringing
in residents that generate business and increase a sense of collective culture:
“Know Good Market attracts people that don’t usually go into Hartford, and it’s
becoming a thing for people to do. It gets them out of their normal social
bubble to see that Hartford has some cool stuff going on.” Other vendors
concurred. Krystal, from Zipped and Printed, which sells a variety of items
featuring bright African textiles, sees Know Good Market as “something really
special … bringing the Hartford community together regardless of age or other
factors.”

Through
face to face interactions at Know Good Market, we get to know our neighbors
better, we trust them more, and, ultimately, we’re more able to work together
to make change. This collective culture makes the city a more attractive place
to live and may contribute to combatting “brain drain” and bringing in more tax
revenue.

A Know Good Market Vendor. Photo Credit: Taylor Peracchio

You Can Help Too!

So
now you might be asking, what you can do to help? The answer is quite simple:
attend Know Good Market! Start following BL&D on social media so that you
won’t miss upcoming events. Jeff
Devereux plans to continue creating opportunities for the community to connect
at Know Good Market and beyond. Going to events hosted by Breakfast
Lunch & Dinner is a great opportunity to have fun while becoming a part of
the collective culture of our city. This sense of shared identity will become a
resource in addressing challenges and capitalizing on opportunities as a
greater Hartford community.

Want
to know more? Visit Breakfast Lunch & Dinner’s website to learn about their
full range of projects and upcoming events, and also find
links to social media accounts: http://www.breakfastxlunchxdinner.com

This article is the fourth and final in a series of four student blog posts featured from Trinity Assistant Professor Abigail Williamson's first-year seminar Civic Engagement and Community as described in my blog post Classroom to Community at Trinity.

Mitchell Pfaff (Trinity College ’21) is from Westwood Massachusetts and has a growing interest in politics.

Anna Barry(Trinity College ’21) is from Sutton, Massachusetts, and attended Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts. At Trinity, she is a member of the Equestrian Team and a writer for Trinity's chapter of HerCampus, which is an online magazine for college women.

Jack Ricciuti (Roxbury Latin ’17, Trinity College ’21) is a member of the varsity Trinity men’s lacrosse team and intends to major in political science or economics.

Karen Taylor doesn’t
ever shy away from a debate. When she engaged the mayor of Hartford in a heated
conversation about problems with the city’s schools, he walked away so
impressed that, soon after, he appointed her to the School Board.

In all
of her other projects, Karen is equally as focused and energetic about her
impact on the Hartford community. Aside from being a Member of the Hartford
School Board (and a Trinity College alumna), Karen is the Program Director of
the Consortium on Higher Achievement and Success, a board member at the
Hartford Public Library, and a supporter of the Capital Region Education
Council (CREC). A devoted mother, Karen wants to see a better future for the
city that she grew up in.[1]

In 1996, the Connecticut Supreme Court
found that Hartford schools were illegally segregated along racial and economic
lines in the Sheff v. O’Neill case.
The state was ordered to desegregate schools in the greater Hartford area. The
implementation and funding of CREC magnet schools was the State of
Connecticut’s response to the landmark decision.[2]

Today, however, the citizens of
Hartford remain divided when it comes to the CREC magnet schools. By attending
a meeting of the Hartford Board of Education and speaking with Karen Taylor we
were able to see these stark divisions. At the Board of Education meeting, we
witnessed passionate parents speak out against injustices as they voiced their
opinions on ways in which the Hartford school system needs to be improved.

These parents’ comments suggest that
some in Hartford believe that magnet schools are nothing but a drain on the
local school system. Karen Taylor provides another outlook – she sees magnet
schools as a way to bring the greater Hartford area together. By integrating
the schools in the greater Hartford area, Karen believes that the people of the
region will form connections that allow them to work together to solve shared
problems. In other words, magnet schools promote building what Harvard
Professor Robert Putnam calls social capital. Social capital refers to the value
of social interaction and trusting relationships.[3]
If the greater Hartford area is able to increase its levels of social capital,
then Hartford will marshal its resources collectively to become a more prosperous
city.

Benefits
of Magnet Schools in Hartford

Even
two decades following the Sheff
ruling, Hartford schools remain not only under-funded but also extremely
segregated. While the Hartford region covers 87 square miles, the city itself
is only about 18 square miles today, surrounded by more than two dozen suburban
towns.[4]
In Hartford, Latinos and
African-Americans comprise more than three-quarters of the population. In
comparison, surrounding towns are predominantly white, as the table below
comparing Hartford, West Hartford, and East Hartford indicates.

Table: Racial and Ethnic Composition of Hartford and
Neighboring Cities

Hartford

East Hartford

West Hartford

Total
population

124,775

51,252

63,268

Percent
White (non-Hispanic)

16%

42%

75%

Percent
Black (non-Hispanic)

35%

24%

6%

Percent
Asian (non-Hispanic)

3%

6%

7%

Percent
Hispanic

43%

26%

10%

Source: U.S. Census, American Community
Survey 5-year estimates, 2011-2014

The CREC magnet schools offer some
children in Hartford an escape from the relatively low performing district
schools in the city. CREC advertises that, in contrast to the city’s schools, a
majority of CREC graduates attend post-secondary education programs.[5]
By providing students from lower income areas with the tools to succeed, magnet
schools facilitate the lessening of socio-economic inequality. Moreover, by drawing children from
across district lines, magnet schools bring together children and parents from
different backgrounds, who may have never met otherwise. This creates a form of
social capital known as bridging, which describes the growth of relationships
between diverse groups of people.[6]

People like Karen Taylor hope that by
bringing together people from the many different communities in the greater
Hartford area, they can facilitate the creation of a more unified Hartford region.
If they are able to break down the strong ethnic and socioeconomic divisions
that plague the region, they will form a more cohesive community, perhaps even
leading to a more even distribution of wealth.

Challenges
with Magnet Schools in Hartford

While there are a great deal of
positive effects from magnet schools within Hartford, there are also a few
negatives in the way the system currently is implemented. One issue is the
potential damage to bonding social capital. Bonding is a form of social capital
that is created by forming deeper and more meaningful relationships among
people within a specific group.[7]
Though magnet schools have been able to successfully break down divisions along
ethnic and economic lines and across towns in greater Hartford, they have also
divided neighbors within Hartford. This division is the result of the lottery
system used to determine which children can go to a magnet school. To ensure
integration, placement through the lottery system factors in a student’s race
or ethnicity. Magnet schools admit no more than 75% students that are
Black and Latino, while Whites and Asians, referred to as “reduced isolation”
students, must make up the remaining 25% of each school.[8]

This
75-25 ratio in magnet schools was mandated as a way to desegregate schools.
Meanwhile, segregation persists because many Blacks and Latinos within Hartford
are eager to enroll in these schools, but Whites and Asians who primarily live
in the suburbs have been less interested. Blacks and Latinos are forced to wait
in line for a seat, unable to enroll until more reduced isolation students
decide to join them. Currently half of Hartford’s youth are in CREC schools,
but some observers suggest that interest from White and Asian students may have
“maxed out.”[9]
Therefore, those Black and Latino students who want a seat, but are unable to
get one, are forced to go to segregated Hartford public schools.

As a result of these pressures, Karen
Taylor has experienced Hartford parents complaining that the system is rigged if
their child is not picked by the lottery. This anger can divide neighbors along
the lines of those who attend magnet schools and those who attend regular
public schools.

Hartford’s
Road to Recovery

Despite these challenges, Karen Taylor
sees magnet schools as an effective long-term solution to undo extreme
segregation and socioeconomic disparity in greater Hartford. Magnet schools do
have short-term consequences that can lead to more localized divisions among
neighbors and anger from those who are unable to benefit from the lottery
system. These smaller fractures within neighborhoods will slowly be healed as
the greater Hartford area becomes more unified and equal. Through the early
stages of the unification of Hartford, it will be rough and divisive. Having
only begun to receive attention and funding as recently as 2003, the CREC
schools are very much in their infancy.[10]
The process of undoing decades of segregation is a long and grueling one. While
the people of Hartford will continue to try to repair bonding social capital,
the responsibility for mending divides is not theirs alone. Those who live in
the suburbs of Hartford should work to benefit the greater Hartford area as a
whole by sending their kids to magnet schools. When more suburban students
attend CREC magnet schools, it allows more children from
Hartford to attend those same magnet schools.

As Karen Taylor
remarked, “the future is integrated.” All parts of the region will need to come
together, especially the suburbs, in order for the Hartford region to create
opportunities for the next generation that allow it to achieve its full
potential.

This article is the third in a series of four student blog posts featured from Trinity Assistant Professor Abigail Williamson's first-year seminar Civic Engagement and Community as described in my blog post Classroom to Community at Trinity.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Night Fall event in Hartford with Connecticut's Capitol in in the background, October 7, 2017

Illuminating Stronger Ties at Hartford's Night Fall

By Preet Patel, Trinity College

Preet Patel (Trinity College ’21) is an aspiring economics major from Belchertown Massachusetts who is looking forward to getting more involved in Hartford in the coming years. During his first semester Preet volunteered at a Hartford Habitat for Humanity build with the Trinity Campus Habitat Chapter.

In the shadow of the illuminated state
capitol building, hundreds of people sat mesmerized by a powerful show. Joyful
laughter, sparkling smiles, and camera flashes dotted the magical landscape of
Bushnell Park. Standing on stage and looking out onto people of many cultures
and ethnicities, we raised and then lowered our lanterns, signifying the
importance of a connected community rising through problems, and lowering
barriers. Although it takes place only one night a year, Night Fall not only
brings the community together, but serves as an epicenter for crossing borders,
socially, economically, and ethnically, resulting in a region with greater
social connectedness.

Night
Fall and Social Capital

Night
Fall is a yearly community event held on the first Saturday in October,
celebrating the rich culture, diversity and arts of Hartford through a majestic
puppet performance. The show is the creative concept of lead artist, Anne
Cubberly. The puppets and art featured in the show are created in conjunction
with local artists and creative people of Hartford. Many of the performers and
professionals in the show call Hartford home. Hartford's rich cultural
communities are emphasized throughout the event. Before the show, the
tempting aroma given off by the line of food trucks draws large crowds of
people anxiously waiting for a delicious treat. Adults of different races, and
cultures engage with one another, sparking fruitful conversations and
interactions.

People waiting in line at the food trucks at Night Fall

Despite
the harmony at Nightfall, Hartford has seen a decline in social capital in
recent years, with important consequences. Social capital as defined by Robert
Putnam, is the social interactions, networks, and trust among community members
that allow for collective action.[1]
Hartford through a series of events such as deindustrialization,
suburbanization, and homogeneous communities, has experienced barriers to
collective action between the city and the municipalities beyond the urban core.

Declining
Social Capital in Hartford

Hartford
is an often misunderstood city that has experienced extraordinary
transformations throughout its history.[2] Today
Hartford is fragmented both jurisdictionally and socially, contributing to
weaker social ties between community members. There is not a clear chain of
events to track Hartford’s decline in social ties, but there are some factors
that illuminate the problem. One factor that led to the decline of Hartford was
the city’s dependence on stable manufacturing, industrial, and insurance jobs.
When those industries began merging with larger corporations, moving
headquarters, or shutting down, the problems for Hartford really began.[3]
The movement of high skilled workers out of Hartford created among the most
racially and socioeconomically polarized regions in America. In part as a
result, Hartford’s central city has among the slowest growing economies in the
United States. Meanwhile greater Hartford actually ranks as among the
wealthiest regions in the world.[4]
The polarization between the suburbs and the city is also clear along racial
and ethnic lines. The movement of people out of the city and into suburbs created
a separation of people, ideas, and cultures, increasing the ever present
divide.

The
suburbanization of Hartford caused a profound ripple effect that led to the
erosion of social capital between the city and the surrounding towns. Hartford
has a disadvantage in that it has a fixed boundary, with no ability to expand.
When the industrial jobs left, many high skilled workers left to the
surrounding areas, because there was little growth within the city.[5]
When largely white people moved to the suburbs, they created homogeneous
communities of politics, cultures, and ideals. The separation between the
suburbs and the city is toxic for bridging social capital which, according to
Putnam, allows people and communities to get ahead in life.[6] The polarized
communities across municipal boundaries prevent people from making social
connections that offer potential for economic growth.

A large crowd gathered near the stage at Night Fall

Without
bridging social capital, communities cannot benefit from sharing skills, and
knowledge. Events like Night Fall are crucial, because they promote social
connection of people across different town lines, ethnicities, and cultures,
encouraging stronger social networks to address Hartford’s challenges and
opportunities in the future.

Night
Fall Strengthens Social Capital

Events
like Night Fall work towards bridging social capital between the city and the
surrounding towns in several ways. The food trucks with dozens of people in
line force different people to interact with one another. The performers in the
show are supported and are able to display their talents to the community. An
audience member from West Hartford reinforced that she values Night Fall
because it “increases social interaction between demographic groups.” This
shared sense of culture brings the whole community together. Not only does this
allow people from the suburbs to interact with people from Hartford, but it
also bridges ethnic groups in Hartford. Night Fall allows these divided groups
to come together and interact with one another, promoting unity and collective
action among the people of Hartford and with people of greater Hartford.

One
of most crucial ways Night Fall increases social capital is its emphasis and
work within the community. In the time leading up to Night Fall, the
organization hosts artistic workshops throughout the city. In the workshops,
the community is connected to the show through the creation of lanterns.[7]
Constructing the lanterns increases social capital within the community because
it fosters a sense of cultural unity. The people of Hartford have a chance to
showcase their culture, art, and diversity, encouraging connection to one
another.

Night
Fall’s ability to promote diversity in the community makes it powerful tool in
creating stronger social capital and consequently a tighter sense of community.[8]
In an interview with the Hartford
Courant, LB Munoz, a chairwoman for Night Fall, stated: “every year we're
trying to relate everything back to the neighborhood we're in. Downtown is
incredibly diverse, home to people who have come from afar.”[9]
Night Fall celebrates Hartford’s diversity, and acknowledges that the city’s
diversity is an asset that can propel the city past its barriers.

View overlooking the stage at Night Fall

Transforming
Hartford Through the Power of Collective Action

It
is clear that the people of Hartford and its surrounding suburbs have the power
to transform the city. Residents in the surrounding suburbs should attend
events like Night Fall, and engage with and invest in the sleeping gem that
Hartford truly is. Events like Night Fall prove that interactions across
barriers are possible and fruitful. If there are more social interactions
between the suburbs and the city then, according to Putnam, the region will be
better equipped to meet any challenge.[10] Just as I
had the opportunity to lift the lantern from Night Fall’s stage, Hartford and
the surrounding towns have the opportunity to illuminate a whole new generation
in greater Hartford through collective regional action.

This article is the second in a series of four student blog posts featured from Trinity Assistant Professor Abigail Williamson's first-year student seminar Civic Engagement and Community as described in my blog post Classroom to Community at Trinity.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Muhammad A. Zeb is a freshman Class of 1963 Scholar from Corpus Christi, TX. He is founder of a South Texan non-profit called the Heritage Bridge Foundation, and has been selling cars since he was 16 years old.

A metropolitan area
is similar to a human body, wherein each city functions as a unique organ,
while the central city represents the heart.The City of Hartford -- the heart of a 1.2 million person
metropolitan area -- is starved of its lifeblood in a region starkly divided by
income and race across municipal boundaries.[1] These
divisions present barriers to social capital[2] in the
region, reducing trust, participation, and its ability to work collectively. Activist
Yanil Teron[3]
has rolled up her sleeves to reinvigorate the region’s social capital. As the
executive director of the Center for Latino Progress, she recognizes that,
“Hartford is truly the heart of this region.” She has dedicated her
professional career to building community, especially among Latinos in
Hartford. In addition to these close-knit bonding interactions, Ms. Teron
further seeks to build bridging social capital across diverse groups in order
to channel their energy through the veins of Hartford and its surrounding area.

Hartford’s Current Diagnosis

Historically,
Hartford was synonymous with the term wealth. From manufacturing to finance to
insurance, Hartford served as a hub of economic activity in the United States.[4]
Though this is not the case in the modern day, Hartford continues to possess
generous traces of the resources of its glory days, such as a sizeable
industrial sector. Hartford is also home to numerous higher education
institutions. These institutions are a vital asset in the revival of Hartford
as they nurture future citizens of the area. Instilling the importance of
social capital in the students of such institutions offers a promising future
for Hartford.

The
city of Hartford enjoys a wealth of diversity. Though the existence of wealth
and diversity in a region is often a positive element, diversity and wealth are
polarized in greater Hartford, leaving much of the wealth in the surrounding
suburbs.[5]
This departure of wealth from the city has led to a financial crisis in
Hartford as the city has minimal taxable property within its 17.9 square mile
jurisdiction. Furthermore, segregation and mistrust within and between the various
ethnic populations of the city of Hartford are at a high level.[6]
As the largest ethnic group in the city is Latino, specifically Puerto Rican,
Yanil Teron’s primary goal is to increase social capital among the Latinos of
Hartford.

Step 1: Bonding a Broken Heart

Social
capital is a vital element in a successful community since it represents the
value of human networks that enable collective social action. A high level of
social capital is often associated with better health, better child development,
and greater safety and prosperity.[7]
The two types of social capital, bonding and bridging, are closely related and
one can contribute to the other.

To
address the issue of the broken heart of the greater Hartford area, Yanil Teron
is leading the Center of Latino Progress to generate bonding social capital
among the Latino population of the city of Hartford. The projects led by Teron include
immigration services and adult learning classes, specializing in English
proficiency. These in turn coordinate with the FUTUROS program for job placement.9

Most
recently, the Center for Latino Progress has developed the BiCi Co. program, which encourages individuals to bond over the
activity of biking, through workshop courses and planned bike rides that
facilitate face-to-face interactions.[8]
As Teron explained, “Our social capital plan goes beyond the professional
interaction… we do fun things too.” In addition to fun, the program promotes
environmental sustainability and transportation access.

To
further build social networks in Hartford and beyond, Ms. Teron and her
organization often partner with other organizations. This fall, for instance,
they participated in the Heroes and Icons
Exhibit by the Arte Foundation. At this event I was given a first-hand look
at how Teron’s plan of increasing greater Hartford’s social capital occurs
through the force of bonding social capital.

The
event specifically focused on the interaction of people around their
appreciation for Latino culture and heritage. The spectrum of attendance
greatly varied from the Latino working class to elite members of society. I was
impressed to see how a simple gathering can increase in bonding social capital.
In a corner holding a plate of Puerto Rican delicacies, I saw a Latino
entrepreneur giving job tips to a mom of two. Shifting my glance I saw an
immigration attorney discussing policy with a state representative in the
presence of a new immigrant.

“This
is only the first step in our plan,” Teron claimed when I expressed my awe to
her. “The city of Hartford needs to bridge out to the wealthy suburbs to help
greater Hartford improve,” she explained.

Step 2:Pumping Social Capital through the Veins of
Greater Hartford.

As
the map displays, Hartford is financially challenged yet its surrounding
suburbs include dense pockets of wealth. Teron’s ultimate goal is to use the
rebuilt heart of the region to pump social capital throughout the region,
thereby connecting the financially stable to the financially marginal. “People
come and go from the city every day, but they don't interact with the residents
of the city. Our goal is to make these outside visitors interact with Hartford
residents,” Teron elaborated. In order to accomplish this CLP is currently
broadening its outreach to partner with programs like Hartford Magnet Schools
and the Girl Scouts of Connecticut to increase bridging social capital.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2011-2014 estimates,
generated by Muhammad Zeb using Social Explorer.

You should do something too.

Yanil
Teron contributes to healing Hartford’s broken heart, through bonding social capital.
Now her goal is to bridge this new social capital to the greater Hartford area,
thereby reinvigorating the region. As the heart of the region, Hartford will
pump social capital through the veins of the greater area, and gradually return
to its vibrant past.[9]
Trinity students have a responsibility to aid this progression. According to
Teron, “Trinity students must branch out of their homework assignments, and get
out in the community,” in order to build bridging and bonding social capital.
So the next time your friends decide to order food delivery, advise them to go
out to a restaurant. Building social capital is an enjoyable process, and we
have already made strides in the right direction, thanks to the efforts of
Yanil Teron and other Hartford leaders.

Muhammad Zeb's article is the first in a series of four student blog posts featured from Trinity Assistant Professor Abigail Williamson's first-year student seminar Civic Engagement and Community as described in my blog post Classroom to Community at Trinity.

Red Truck Stonecatcher

Be A Stonecatcher!

I drive a red truck. I want to catch stones. This blog is a forum to highlight, celebrate and share the good works of people and organizations making our world a better place, especially those who are dedicated to catching the hurtful stones we are prone to cast at, or throw in the path of, the marginalized, vulnerable, and victimized among us, which prevents them from realizing the recognition, respect, and rights a just world should afford everyone. Invest in each other and work together. Be a stonecatcher!